Christopher D Olmstead

Chris was born on December 19, 1941 in Oneonta, New York, to the late Dr. Edwin Vincent Olmstead and Helen Davison Olmstead. He graduated from Hunterdon Central High School in Flemington, New Jersey, and spent a formative postgraduate year at Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 1964), where he was a four-year member of the Quakers' varsity wrestling team while enduring the rigors of an ROTC Army commitment and serving as a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

After receiving his undergraduate degree, Chris was sent to Fort Eustis in Virginia as a Second Lieutenant, where he trained in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, known as "Rear with the Gear!" He was then assigned to Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, where a fortuitous blind date introduced him to Sarah Condit, a young airline ticket agent. After serving a tour in South Korea, Chris returned to Atlanta, where he and Sarah married, and he went on to graduate from Emory University School of Law (Class of 1969).

After law school, Chris joined the law firm of McLain & Merritt, where he started in general litigation but soon transitioned to Family Law. He was a trusted leader at the firm and was awarded the Jack P. Turner Award by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia in 2005, the highest honor bestowed upon a family law practitioner. Chris was also a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where he served as President of the Georgia chapter, and was a past chairperson of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Though an accomplished attorney, Chris had many interests outside of work and always put family and friends first. He was an avid collector of political pinback buttons, amassing the leading collection of Charles Evans Hughes-related materials, and supported the American Political Items Collectors (APIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the collection, preservation, and study of materials relating to political campaigns and the presidency. He also enjoyed golf, whether playing with daughters Paige and Kimberly at East Lake Golf Club in their early years or later as a member at the Golf Club of Georgia.

Due to his love of Buddy Holly and the music of his era, Chris was affectionately known as "Buddy" to his seven grandchildren, and he wholeheartedly supported their passions whether on a sports field, theater stage, or classroom. He and Sarah enjoyed annual beach vacations with family and friends across the Southeast, where he could be found catching up on periodicals in the sun, feasting on family dinners, and competing for the coveted Olmstead Gin Rummy or Cornhole titles. Many a friend and future in-law joined these gatherings over the years — a testament to how naturally Chris made room for people at his table.

Chris was predeceased by his parents, Dr. Edwin Vincent and Helen Davison Olmstead, and his youngest brother, Dr. Brian Johnson Olmstead.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah Condit Olmstead; daughters, Kimberly Calhoun (Clay) and Paige McCloskey (Sean); seven grandchildren, Lily Heerema (Jack), Davis McCloskey, Caroline Heydt (Jackson), Hallie McCloskey, Margaret Calhoun, Mae McCloskey, and Henry Calhoun; and brother, Dr. Edwin J. Olmstead (Phyllis).

A memorial service will be held at Canterfield of Kennesaw in Kennesaw, Georgia, at 2 PM on Saturday, August 15, 2026.